MONDAY

I spent the morning on various chores, including changing the bed, washing sheets, doing a bleach wash and checking various financial matters. I'm getting ninety-two more dollars a month nore from Social Security in 2025, or $1,104. per year. Big whoops, as the kids say, as my rent will surely go up considerably more than that, however, I'm financially secure, so can't complain. 

As he had requested, I sent Jim my phone number along with a get-well note, then walked the rent + utilities check to the office. Made a turkey stir-fry, which I haven't done in a while. I always make them with mostly vegetables and only about a quarter of the dish ground turkey. I made enough for three servings, two of which I stowed in the freezer, and I enjoyed one for dinner.

After that, I figured I deserved a respite, so packed my lunch and strolled out to the middle to eat it and continue reading my Joe DiMaggio book. I didn't get to that, though, because Lorraine saw me and sat down to chat. She's a little wifty--ten years younger than I am, but seems older; uses a lot of cliches; thinks management is out to get her; reveres the military, and so on, but I enjoy her company in small doses. 

Ellen called to chat and then asked if I wanted to meet for lunch tomorrow, New Year's day. Nah, I told her I don't wanna, I'd rather sit at home and contemplate my lost youth--NOT!  Of course, I enthusiastically agreed, and suggested The Lazy Dog in Oxnard, so it's a go. We'll also stop at WinCo and maybe a shop nearby I like.

Well, it's Christmas all over again. The device Mike sent came and here it is:

Now I have two canes, one for each leg, I guess. Mike suggested I keep both and maybe leave one at Ellen's. Hmm...mayb

SUNDAY, DIANE, JIM, AND A CERTAIN DEVICE

Had a terrible time sleeping; woke at 2:30 for the usual, then couldn't get back for several hours. Finally did, got up, and jumped in the shower to start my day. I was pleased to complete the entire Sunday crossword--not one fill-in missing. 

I left for the Hill Street Cafe in time to meet Diane for my birthday lunch at noon. Because I don't eat red meat at home, I had a hamburger and a good Pacifico IPA. (Virtuous me, I ordered only a 9 ounce, not a 20.) We sat on the patio and had a great time, as ever, talking and laughing for quite a while.  We then left to spend another 45 or so at our place outside the library. 

I gave Diane a little Christmas gift--body cream and and some subtle incense device, which she particularly liked, as she'll use it on during her twice daily meditation. When it started to get a little chilly, we hugged goodbye and I walked home, so got a good three miles in, there and back.

I called VCH and talked to Jim's nurse. He's still in the ICU, but I was pleased to hear he's improved and may be released today, back to Victoria Care Center. I asked if I could speak to him and the very pleasant and courteous nurse switched me over. Talked to Jim for a few minutes--he sounded fairly good--and he asked if I'd send him my phone number--to his P.O. box. Of course, he's called me many times over the years, but he has only a landline and presumably, no address book or any way to get it. Anyway, I'll do that today and will visit him as soon as feasible. 

Note: This lovely gift was at my door yesterday: 

Yeah, I'm sure that forty or so year-old model on the box needs a cane.

Okay, that's from the kid in Japan, but when I sent the pics to all four of the conspirators via Messenger, Mike wrote back that he had sent one, too! UPS said they had tried to deliver it at 4:30 yesterday, but were unable. Well, why not? I was home, so will just wait for the damn thing.  I hope I can return one of them. 

SATURDAY, JEANNE, AND VIVIAN

Got a funny video from my high school chum, Jeanne Painter. I called her and we had a nice chat. Her paramour, John, is now 95 and they live together, as they have for decades. He seems to be slowing down a bit, although he said he wanted to go to a New Years Eve party where they live--wants to wear his tuxedo. Here they are at some affair recently:

Jeanne will be 89 in May.

Since we didn't have T.O.P.S. this week, I weighed myself at home yesterday and the not-too-bad result was 128.6, a gain of .08. That's okay, though, as I'm sure I'll be whittling down when festivities are over. 

Walked to Wal-Mart about 10:00 to look for an apple slicer (or "wedger," as it's fancily called by some) and found one, plus a few other items. Bused home and had a big salad lunch, then spent some time tidying up the bedroom. 

Thrilled by my acquisition (the apple device), I used it on four apples and these are the biggest I've ever seen--almost the size of grapefruit--which I then put in the slow cooker with some quartered tangerines and some cinnamon. A few hours later, I had a nice applesauce, some of which I'll freeze for later.

Got some interesting news from Singapore: son Mike Messaged me to say that my great-nephew, Cameron, 20, is going to be an exchange student in Singapore and he's actually going to live in the same building Mike does.  Cameron is the son of my nephew, Jim, the son of my late brother, Frank (HSHS '52). Jim is "physician lead" (whatever that means), at three hospitals in San Jose.; he's a OB/GYN doc and actually delivered Cameron. That is, he was there in the birth room and the attending allowed him to actually receive the baby as he emerged. 

Went out to get the mail and ran into neighbor Lorraine and chatted a bit. I had promised I'd make her a lemon meringue pie, but with company coming and so on, I'm kind of sorry I did. Oh, well, I'll have her over one of these days and serve it for dessert. 

More family news: I keep urging my granddaughter, Vivian, to buckle down and get serious about her studies now that she's in her senior year. However, she just seems to want to laze around. Here are her latest grades at U. of Hawaii:                                                                                                                                             

Am I proud? You'd better believe it! And what's more, she's a kind, good person, and has a real sense of humor. That last seems to me as important as her intelligence.  

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26

FRIDAY'S GOINGS-ON IS NEXT. Whew! I thought I had actually skipped a day, but in fact, I accidentally added Thursday's entry to Wednesday's. So here's what went on Thursday:

El asked if I wanted to go to the supermarket on my way home, and sure, why not? We drove to WinCo, but it looked terribly crowded, so we went off to Grocery Outlet. I didn't think I needed much, but couldn't resist several pounds of sea bass and halibut, so managed to spent forty bucks. Back at my place, El stayed for a few hours while we visited and looked over my newly-arrived cryptogram books. She had no clue as to how they work and was intrigued.

We said goodbye sometime after 4:00 and I cleaned up and put away at least some of the stuff I had needed--or thought I needed--for two nights at El's. Before dinner, I also sliced and cut up the several pounds of tomatoes I had bought at G.O. 

Lorraine called to see if I might be able to meet in the middle today. However, I had emailed Diane to see if she was up for a lib lunch. She wasn't, but I just didn't feel like talking to Lorraine, so skipped it. Diane will treat me with a birthday lunch at Hill Street Cafe on Sunday.

FRIDAY AND RENT

No T.O.P.S. yesterday, but I weighed myself here this morning (Saturday) and the good/bad new is: 

Got busy early on catching up with all I neglected before Christmas. Was on the phone for 45 minutes with Amazon Singapore straightening out my own error (leaving the last name off of Mike's email). Did a number of other chores, both financial and domestic, that are too mundane to mention.

Emailed Diane to see if she could meet for a lib lunch, but she's with family from Chicago until tonight. She suggested Sunday and, yes, fine. She reminded me she wanted to treat me for my birthday, so hey,  that's fine by me, and we'll meet at the Hill Street Cafe.

Got a text from Vickie. In it, she mentioned that it was four years ago that her long-time partner, Mary, lost her 39-year-old grandson to suicide. I wrote back about Betty's loss of Jay the same way, when he was 31. We agreed we want to talk about these tragedies that continue to haunt our families.

Went to Von's for grapefruit zero sugar soda, sumo tangerines, and other items. I now have a fridge and freezer fully stocked. It occurred to me I do this in cycles: Before Ellen and I went to Grocery Outlet the other day, the pantry (meaning freeze and freezer) was pretty sparse. Now I have enough there for at least several weeks and probably more. 

Went over to the office with my rent plus utilities check, only to be told by Soyant that I had to email Kim to get the total--AAGH! Of course, I had gotten the email below last week, but didn't bother to read it. However, it's no biggie and I'll just bring it on Monday. For my own convenience, I'm adding it here in miniature re the change of ownership rent payments:

From:	Kimberly Mead (Assistant Community Director)
Date:	December 23, 2024, 7:13 pm
Subject:	Action Plan for January Rent payments

---

Greetings Residents,

Re: Action Plan for January rent payments

Important Facts:

- LEDGER BALANCES ARE NOT ACCURATE

- Email: kimberly.mead@fpimgt.com for all accounting inquiries

⁃ The amount to pay on the resident portal is not accurate, due to utility charges not showing up on ledgers, and any payments made towards utilities shows up as a false credit.

⁃ There will be no waiving of late fees, moving forward for any reason

⁃ Kim shall proactively email each resident with their amount to pay before December 28th to ensure all residents have the amount due with adequate notice to pay rent on time

⁃ It is possible to pay a custom amount BEFORE the 1st

⁃ To avoid a convenience/transaction fee, payments must be made via "E. Check" on the resident portal

⁃ We will be in the office Monday December 30 and Tuesday December 31st, closed New Year’s Day, and back in the office Thursday January 2nd and Friday January 3rd

⁃ You may also pay by personal check, money order or cashiers check the week of Monday, December 30 through Friday, January 3rd (Closed New Years Day)

- Payable to: Avian Ventura Grand Apts. LLC

⁃ New office hours are 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday

⁃ Please note resident portal works on Eastern Standard Time therefore do not wait until the evening of December 31 to enter a custom payment amount on the resident portal

Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we work through this transition.

WEDNESDAY--WELL, YEAH, CHRISTMAS DAY

Slept wonderfully well and got up at 6:30. El was up an hour or so later and we had breakfast. then Greg came over and we went for a short walk on the trail to the river. It was chilly and we didn't go as long as we might have because the paved part ends and I didn't want to hazard the rocky path. Here we are on on the trail:

Back at El's, we chatted, then fussed around until two of my three other children Zoomed us. The time difference is so extreme--it was Friday, 4:45 am in Tokyo and Thursday in the U.S., 11:45 here, and 2:45 pm in Jersey. However, we had a lovely time, especially when the east coast trio Zoomed in. They were decorating cookies and having fun. Unfortunately, it was only an hour earlier in Singapore than Tokyo, so Mike was still asleep;  We got to him later and enjoyed hearing about him and his girls: 

Christmas Day, 2024: Vivian, 20; Violet, 17.

Also unfortunately, the Amazon gift card I sent for him, Vivian, and Violet (electronically) never got there. Why? I looked and damnit, I had mis-written Mike's email address, damnit. Well, I'll send again and it'll be a new year gift.  

Dinner was casual, but good, with Ellen's chicken soup and enchilada casserole, both delicious and made from scratch. After that, we opened our presents. We had agreed not to go nuts with expensive ones, and nobody did, but we all enjoyed the holiday.

I'm afraid, though, that my friend, Jim, didn't. I got a call late in the day from Victorian Care Center to say Jim had problems breathing and that he had been taken to Ventura Community Hospital. Ellen and I thought we'd visit him there, but called first, and found he had been in the ICU with pneumonia. Later, though, he rallied somewhat and was then in what seems to be a step up--in the O (observation?) CU.  Anyway, visitors are not encouraged; in fact, I think he may have the flu and be contagious, so I'll hold off trying to visit. I'll try to call him sometime today.

El asked if I wanted to go to the supermarket on my way home, and sure, why not? We drove to WinCo, but it looked terribly crowded, so we went off to Grocery Outlet. I didn't think I needed much, but couldn't resist several pounds of sea bass and halibut, so managed to spent forty bucks. Back at my place, El stayed for a few hours while we visited and looked over my newly-arrived cryptogram books. She had no clue as to how they work and was intrigued.

We said goodbye sometime after 4:00 and I cleaned up and put away at least some of the stuff I had needed--or thought I needed--for two nights at El's. Before dinner, I also sliced and cut up the several pounds of tomatoes I had bought at G.O. 

Lorraine called to see if I might be able to meet in the middle today. However, I had emailed Diane to see if she was up for a lib lunch today, but haven't heard back from her. Will see. 

TUESDAY--CHRISTMAS EVE

 Unfortunately, there's something wrong with my unattached key board and it doesn't work. I have to use the one attached to the laptop and I find it very difficult, so I'm just going to sketch out yesterday: 

Vickie called and offered to take  me to Ojai, but the E Van was picking me up, so I refused with thanks. I did ask her to get a package I was expecting at my door. Got to Ellen's about 2:00 as she was engaged in putting the finessing  touches on a delicious Mexican dish, the name of which I don't remember.  She also made an excellent chicken soup for dinner. 

Greg came before lunch, then while El was slaving in the kitchen, he and I went to Bart's  books. I got a great book on eighteenth century photography and he got yet another cookbook. Back at El's we had a great light dinner of the soplunch of the Mexpuian dish

Okay, forget it: ThE above toteok twenty minutes and the text keeps hoping aroinnt. El is still asleep and I'll ask her to see if she can fix it when she gets up. Anyway: 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Later...when El got up, she immediately pointed out the problem: Somehow, the keyboard got turned off via the tiny switch on top right. I never even knew it was there, so  it must have been accidental. Anyway, it's on now and here's a recap of yesterday:

El, Greg, and I played gin rummy after dinner. Big whoops, right? G. will be back today, possibly with his friends, Carl and Sharon. Don't ask me why the type is different above, 'cus I ain't dealing with it anymore!!  😵

MONDAY

 AAGH!  It's now 6:00 pm on Monday and I'm feeling overwhelmed. A quick rundown:

1. I cored, seasoned, and baked a dozen nice apples, then stowed them in the freezer except for two, which I'll give to Ellen;

2. I was about to reassemble most of the things I took to El's when I slept over on my birthday three days, which I had to bring back here and disassemble. At least I added fresh clothes;

3. I arranged for Amazon gift cards for Mike and the girls--just seemed to have no time for getting them anything else, let alone wrapping, sending to Singapore, etc.;

4. I was in the middle of some necessary preparations when Vickie called to say she was going to Silver Crest, where Diane lives and would drop off the card I tried to send, which didn't make it in the mail. She then asked if Diane and I might want to go to lunch. I had a million more things to do, so of course, I thanked her, but refused because I had a million things to do...JOKE! Anytime I get a lunch invitation, I lose all sense of--well, all sense--and immediately accept with pleasure, which I did.

5. Met Vickie at her place and she took me to Hosey restaurant. This is on the other side of Santa Paula where she and Mary used to live and they ate there often. I liked it, too, and we each had a pasta plate--I an IPA with it.  We had a great time chatting and being very open with each other, such as her sexuality and my background; her birth family and her family that had been Mary's. 

6. Home about 2:30--Vickie had to go back to work (she works from home)--and, for some reason, I felt exhausted. I had told Ellen I'd make what we call "Nana Mix,"* but--I should be ashamed--I called her and said I'd like to beg off, as I just didn't feel up to it. I would have had to go to Von's to get the ingredients, then make it, pack it, and so on.  My darling daughter was wonderfully okay with that--said she'd make it herself. I'll bring some of the Chex cereal I happen to have and the Whorstershire sauce--damn, I know it's misspelled, but I don't feel like going in the other room to read the label! 

7. My neighbor, Lorraine, came over to give me a pair of socks as a birthday present. That was nice of her and I happen to know her birthday is January 9 (same as Elvis), so I'll do something for her.

8. My upstairs neighbor, Leah, drove up as I went out to get the mail. She had just picked up her mother from LAX and I was glad to see her. We're trying to arrange a day I can have them for lunch.

9.  Okay, this took me twenty-two minutes to type and now I'm going to quit.  I'll top it off tomorrow morning, as usual, and you can be sure I'll make the top-off number 10 because I'm so compulsive I can't stand to end a list with 9.  

10.  Here we are on Tuesday, Christmas Eve, at 5:58 am and this is number ten. 

SUNDAY

Had a good sleep at Ellen's and once we both got up, she made scrambled eggs for breakfast. We then fussed around with my laptop and did a few other things until we took off for Santa Barbara.

Arrived at Villa Alamar about 12:30 and found Betty eating lunch in her room. Carolyn had told us Betty had a cold, so I assume that's why she wasn't in the dining room; Ellen and I both wore masks--just took them off for pictures. El gave Betty one of her delicious persimmon cookies and left the rest for her to have later; I left her presents for Carolyn to open later.  Here, El is reading to her aunt a birthday card in that wonderful way she has: 

This one of Betty and me isn't that great, but it's all we took:

We stayed only twenty minutes or so, then kissed Betty goodbye and left. We met Carolyn and Finn at the Benchmark Restaurant after Ellen maneuvered her way through a jam-packed downtown. Enjoyed immensely our talk and I was delighted to be gifted with this:

I had gotten a book from Greg, too, with some of Tennessee Williams' plays: 21 Wagonloads Full of Cotton, which I'm looking forward to dipping into. 

We had a good time with Carolyn and Finn, discussing life after death, near-death experiences, and who believes what, if anything. Said goodbye in late afternoon and El drove me home. She helped me in with my bags, books, and parcels, then we hugged goodbye. (What would I do without her?  I don't even want to think about that.)

I stopped in on Suzanne, who will be leaving for her nephew's tomorrow. I gave her her Christmas present, then we talked over various family matters (hers) for some time,

An hour or so later, Vickie stopped in and we discussed the cane thing my children had brought up during the Zoom call. I showed her both Ellen's cane, which she had left and my own, which I had found. Vickie then insisted in getting a walker she had used and demonstrating it. Much as I like Vickie, I do NOT--no way, no how--want to use a walker at this point. I'm not too happy about the cane thing, let alone.... Well, I'll let it alone.

Had a late dinner, then unpacked most of my stuff, which I'll be repacking shortly, as I'm staying over at El's on Christmas Eve and Christmas night. 

BIRTHDAY SATURDAY

In the morning, I finished up packing--it's amazing how much I have to take for one overnight stay--and the Access Van picked me up at 10:30. Got to El's twenty or so later and was greeted by these beautiful birthday roses: 

And El's Christmas-decorated living house  looked lovely:

We settled in to talk and laugh after I opened my presents, including some wonderful portraits of the Japanese contingent. I wish I could post them here, but am not permitted. El then made lunch--turkey sandwiches along with a side of roasted Brussel sprouts and beer for me, iced tea for her, and it was yummy. After that, the Tokyo Trio Zoomed us and we proceeded to talk and catch up for an hour and a half. The younger member of that family is so good-looking--a combination of the best of the ethnicity of Japan, Ireland, and Germany, with a little French thrown in. He's also full of fun and personality and, for our family, remarkably tall at eleven years old.   

Interestingly, it seems that all four of my children have banded together to persuade me to get a cane. We spent a fair amount of time with them advising the move ("it will enhance your independence!") and I protesting, but I agreed to consider a collapsing one so I can conceal it in my cart. Will make that one of my New Year's resolution.

Anyway, it was great fun, although Mike was working and wasn't with us (on Christmas, it'll be all four  of them). He Messaged/Facetimed us later and we had interaction with him. He won't have the girls on Christmas, but will later and he and V. and V. will travel to Japan for a visit. 

After, Greg came over and we went to Sea Fresh for dinner. It was good to be with him, as ever, and after a good dinner on them (always the tastiest kind 😂), we went back to El's and played cutthroat gin rummy. Greg won, but I'll bet he had some cards up his sleeve 😁. I'm was happy to hear he's join us for Christmas, too. 

Here's El's place at night, but the picture doesn't do it justice:

                                            

Today, we go to Santa Barbara to see Betty. Carolyn will meet us there and we'll lunch together. Anyway, it was a good day and, although I'm not thrilled to be 88, I know I have it better than a lot of other aging people. (See, I said "aging," not "old," which means--well, not a damn thing, tut it kind of  modifies the statement--NOT!)

FRIDAY

Weight: at home, no change from last week's 127.8; at T.O.P.S., I was 128.9, down a miniscule .05. Meeting was okay, and is the last for this year. Sharon brought a large selection of fancy teas anyone could take and I did. I dislike tea, but want to give some to Susanne and Vickie. Sharon wore one of her spectacular outfits, with matching earrings, of course:

Here she is with Bev, who has a farm in Santa Paula.

Home, I did a bunch of stuff related to Christmas, still very stressed at how late I am. I figured I deserved a rest, so packed lunch and went to the middle to eat it and relax. Took my book, but Lorraine came up and sat down with me, then a young woman whom she knows named Ellen came over with her dog, Duke, and we chatted a bit. Ellen is a dog lover and used to work in Santa Barbara at a doggie day care named ""DOG." I'lI see Carolyn tomorrow and will ask if Claire might work at the same plaee. 

I got a welcome birthday gift over my phone from son, Mike--a fifty dollar gift card. After I ate and said goodbye to Lorraine, I went home and got my cart, then went over to Von's and  proceeded to spend all fifty, plus seventeen dollars more--now I'm nicely stocked up. 

Spent a lot of time packing for my trip to Ellen's tomorrow. Called the Access Van and will be picked up at 10:30 this morning. I have a few pre-Christmas gifts for Ellen, which I'll bring, also a birthday gift for Betty, whom we'll see tomorrow. Besides my bag of overnight stuff and my laptop, it's going to be a hell of a lot just to lug to the front entrance, but with my cart, I'll make it.

Lorraine just called me (6:38 am) to wish me a happy birthday. She is the cliche queen of the world, spouting out all the cheery and vapid words and phrases known to humankind. But hey, I get a kick out of her and I like a variety of people in my life, so I'm okay with that. 

88  is just a number, right? AAGH!!

THURSDAY AND THE MARCH OF TIME--OR SOMETHING...

I got up determined to spend the day catching up and I did--to some extent, anyway. Wrote out a more Christmas cards, wrapped the presents for the little girls in Jersey, made seme necessary phone calls, and washed the area rugs. My brother, Larry, called and talked and talked, telling me all about the Christmas gathering they have every year in Florida. After that, I took off for the P.O.  I had intended to go from there to BOA to deposit those three checks I received, but when I left the P.O., I saw there was a big mob of teenagers waiting at the bus stop. Now, I like young people and these are surely good kids, but let's face it, they tend to be noisy and horse around a lot and I didn't feel like sharing the bus with so many of them. No prob, I'll go to the bank today or in Ojai tomorrow.

I had packed my lunch and was gong to stop and home to get Joe...

...but when I got to the middle, I saw Lorraine at a table reading her bible, so joined her.  We chatted for a good forty-five or so, then Suzanne come up. She had just been at the pool and stayed to talk a bit. I maundered home after that and just watched T.V., while enjoying a small glass of bubbly. I've had in the fridge for ages.  I then took a little nap. 

Ellen called and we made our plans for the weekend. I decided to get the Access Van and will stay over at her place tonight, then we'll go to Santa Barbara on Sunday. 

Made a Zelle transfer to somebody who had done some upkeep repairs on my house in Jersey. After dinner (Chinese leftovers), I watched the rest of the documentary on the queeen (U.K., of course), then turned in. 

👺👺👺👺👺👺👺👺👺👺

WARNING: PHILOSOPHICAL MONOLOGUE AHEAD!

Today is the last day I'll be 87. How strange it seems to be nearing ninety. I'm in good health (unless something's lurking I don't know about--damn, that's the way my mind works!); I have a good, free, interesting life (I'm probably the only one who finds it interesting); and I know I should be thankful. I guess I am, but having no belief in an afterlife--I don't say there isn't one, I just don't know. More to the point, I don't believe anybody knows, so I find this one precious and I don't want to leave it. Every birthday, I feel annoyed and put-upon to be so old. People actually compliment me on my age and that's enough to drive me crazy: "that's wonderful," "you're so lucky," and the one that is invariably voiced by a woman and makes me want to stick a fork in her eye: "you're an inspiration."  Hey, nobody wants to be eighty-eight, unless they're ninety-eight.  Okay, rant over and now I'm inspired to go on with my inspirational life, for which I am actually grateful--to whom or what, I dunno, but I'll take what I've got and be glad I've got it.  💖 

WEDNESDAY

Yet another hectic day. When I went to "publish" this blog, there was no Internet. Called Yandoo and was told they were "doing maintenance" from 7:00 to 8:00 am. Said they had sent an email, but I didn't get it. Had to wait until after breakfast to lock it in. 

 Went over to Great Clips for a trim. Maria is off on Tuesday and Wednesday, and George did it. I liked it last time he did, but I'm not happy with this one. Oh, well, at least it'll be easier to take care of. 

Home, I spent hours dealing with See's Candies and now I've just decided to give the overseas people Amazon gift cards. I know that's a copout, but at this point, I just don't care.   I was so stressed by lunch time, I packed mine--with an IPA, of course, took my book, and went out to the middle to relax. It was beautiful out--71 degrees with little wind--and I calmed down and enjoyed it. Lorraine came over to read her bible and, instead, sat down with me to chat. David then rode up on his bike (he's as avid about biking as my son, Mike) and we three chatted. 

Said goodbye and went back to do a few chores. Ellen came before 3:00, and worked on getting me up to speed with photos on this laptop. That's another subject on which I'm not going to elaborate, but she helped a lot. 

Julie picked me up at 6:00 and we went over to the Chinese place right across the street. Lora was already there and we settled in to good food and even better talk. Lora's house still hasn't sold, but she and Todd are packing up for the move to Arizona. The moving van will leave in a day or two, but they'll be there ahead of time. Lora will be back on the 23rd, so will spend Christmas with her daughter and grandchildren, but there's a lot of friction there. Anyway, the three of us had a good time and they treated for my birthday. Lora also gave me a nice kind of jacket/sweater, which I really like.  Got home a bit before 8:00 and I'm determined to devote today to all kinds of chores I've put off. 

Note: Got the check from $174.32 from Citi. Along with those from BMO and Grouper, that means that, along with those from BMO and Grouper, I recently receive $250.25 I didn't expect. Hey, I can live with that.   

YOICKS!  I actually forgot to press "publish" yesterday! Now it's Thursday at 5:10 pm and I just noticed it wasn't. This time of year is driving me batty!    

TUESDAY

I started off the morning with some annoying problems with Amazon Japan re Christmas gifts, but I don't want to go into detail. 

Left at 11:30 to meet Noreen at Danny's Deli, which is right across from the transit center, so very convenient. She had invited her friend, Gary, along, which was fine by me. We had a good time and they insisted on treating me for my birthday--nice. We all had salads and I an IPA, Noreen Chardonnay. After a leisurely meal and good talk, I asked the server to take our picture:

I'm usually the oldest one in any group, but in this, I'm the youngest--yahoo!

Said goodbye with thanks to Noreen and Gary, then walked the half block to the transit center. Stopped at Target for a few items, then took the 6 bus home. As I was walking in the gate, Julie called to ask if I was available today for dinner with her and Lora. Actually, yes. Ellen's coming over to help with my laptop questions after her P.T. appointment at 3:00, but  that shouldn't take long. As I hung up, I ran into Vickie outside her door and she invited me in. She gave me a card and a pretty "tomato cup" for my birthday:

We then talked, especially about the pending law suit, being brought by Mary's children and Vickie, against the facility where her former partner, Mary, was mistreated. 

When I got home, I found an email from the offspring in Tokyo saying they wanted to Zoom me on my birthday and what would be a good time? The time difference always have to be worked around, so I left it up to El. She decided on a change in our itinerary: I'll still bus to her place on Saturday, we'll have lunch, hang out, get the call, then go to Sea Fresh for dinner. I'll stay over that night, then we'd see Betty on Sunday, after which El would drive me home. Sounds like a plan and it works since Betty doesn't know our birthday's on Saturday, anyway. 😔 (I have NO IDEA when I can't get rid of the space!)

Called Great Clips to get my hair trimmed, but they don't take appointments, so I'll go in about 10:00 today and take my chances. 

Note: I called Grouper and find it's a new thing by my health insurance, SCAN. The fact that they trust their customers to tell the truth that they've been active blows my mind. In my case, it's true, but how is they trust everybody to report it? Doesn't make a lot of sense, but if they want to send me twenty bucks a month, that's fine by me. 

Note Two:  Blogger refused to update this entry when I tried to top it off this morning. I called and they were "doing maintenance" from 7:00 to 8:00 am. Had breakfast first and am now back to finish up at 9:37.  

MONDAY

Did this and that after breakfast then packed lunch and walked to Telephone Road to take the 11 bus to Petit Avenue. Dropped off my donations at GoodWill, then stopped into Grocery Outlet. They had some nice apples and other produce, but they were just too heavy, so I'll go back another time.

Walked the half mile to Diane's park, finding her there already--she's always early--and we settled in for one of our talk sessions, along with our IPA and chardonnay libations. We talked over our usual hundred topics and, happily, the weather stayed warm and mostly sunny. Said goodbye about 2:00 and bused home. I stopped at the library on my way down Hill Street and picked up a bio of Joe DiMaggio for $2,50 (they sell books, too) I'm still in the middle of The Tragedy of Science, A Great Flash of Light, and The Most Bizarre True Crime Stories, so what's my problem with buying yet another book? Just can't help myself, I'm afraid.  

Called Lily, the social worker at Victorian Care Center, and left a message asking if Jim was still there or was placement found. Haven't heard back from her yet. 

Notes: Damn, people keep sending me money.                                                                                            1.) I just got a check from 'GROUPER" for twenty bucks. A week or so ago, they sent me fifty. I honestly don't know why, but it seems to have something to do with me being active; guess I signed up for something and I'll have to look them up.                                                                                             2.) BMO Bank just sent me a check for $55.93. At one point, they said I owed them money. This has something to do with the fact that they used to be Bank of The West and were absorbed or something. I don't understand it, but I told them to close my account and they sent two notices that they'd done so.      3.) Citi still owns me $174 and change; I told them to send me a check.

Lunch at Danny's with Noreen today.

SUNDAY

A pleasant enough Sunday: Crossword was good, just challenging enough, I took the pill, changed the bed, washed the sheets, re-made, then packed lunch and took off. I like to plan out part of my days to a certain extent, although if something better comes along, I scratch them. Nothing did yesterday, so I kept to my schedule.

I walked the mile or so to Telephone Road and just missed the 11 bus, so had to wait for almost an half hour. When it came, I bused to Office Depot for a 2025 calendar, then crossed the street to Dollar Tree (no longer a dollar, of course) for the socks I like from there. Also got a pair of sunglasses to replace the ones I lost. Went from there to WinCo and got frozen fruit and a few other items, I then stopped into Boba, a little Thai restaurant that has tables and chairs out front. I explained that I had my lunch and could I please sit there and eat it? "Of course," the young woman behind the counter replied, "You can sit out there or inside, if you'd rather."  I thanked her, but opted for outside, as it was warm and sunny. 

Ate my lunch in a leisurely fashion, enjoying the variety of people walking by. Finished, then walked across to bus back to the transit center, then wait for the bus home. Got in at 4:30 and--they finally got it right, because I found this on my doorstep:

I started reading it and it's not bad. Frank Bognar, the author, had been director of Catholic Charities in Ventura; I must ask Suzanne f she knows him.

Showered, washed my hair, and settled in for the night. Today, I'm meeting Diane for lunch at "her " park across from where she lives. I'll first go to GoodWill and donate more precious treasures (junk, that is), then stroll up to her place. 

SATURDAY

Aside from excursions to T.O.P.S. and Von's, I was stuck inside all day on Friday. Happily, I got out yesterday after spending a few hours in the morning finishing up Christmas cards. Packed my lunch, then walked to the P.O. to buy more stamps (I got some Kwanza, too), and mail the completed ones. Bused from there to town and stopped in a few shops. 

Ate my lunch at my favored place across from the mission, then bused to the mall/transit center. Went to Target for grapefruit, crackers, and ground turkey. Home, I saw the Amazon guy at my front walk. He gave me a package and I thought, "Good, it's A Great Flash of Light, by Mary Ann's husband;" I had been alerted it would come on the fourteenth...

...NOT!  I was sent this:

Went into Amazon and found a notice that my book had been delayed, but should get here today. This is the second time in a week Amazon screwed up: A few days ago, I got two rather nice kitchen towels from them (or it), in cellophane--or whatever it's called nowadays--and tied with a ribbon. I notified them I hadn't ordered it and read that I should just keep it. Okay, fine by me, and I'll keep the book above, too, but I want the one I ordered and paid for. I did get notified that it had been delayed in shipment, but would get here today. 

Sent See's candy for Christmas to the Tokyo gang via Amazon Japan. Think I'll do the same for others, but I still have to get other gifts. 

It rained a teensy bit here and there, but it was California rain, so I didn't even bother to take an umbrella. Speaking of weather: Yesterday, about 6:15 am shortly after I got up, there was a great clap/roar of noise. Was it thunder? That's very unusual here, for some atmospheric reason. Maybe a jet plane or something? Maybe a nuclear bomb and I'm really not typing this, but have been pulverized into an afterlife? Sure, that must be it.

FRIDAY

The weight thing: home, I was up .04 to 127.8; at T.O.P.S. up .05 to 128.9. That's by my calculations, but according to weight recorder, Cheryl, I was down .05.--weird, but I don't care. We had our little arts and crafts thing--wish I had taken a picture, as the amount of artifacts Sharon and Bobbi brought was incredible. Anyway, it was fairly enjoyable, although I am not good at handiwork at all.  Here are the two things I made, which I'll probably discard, anyway (or as the illiterate say, "anyways"):

Kindergarten level, but that's about all the artistic talent I have.

Cheryl dropped me off, as ever, but when I got in, I realized I didn't have my purse (I had my keys in my pocket). My phone was in my purse, so I went next door to ask Suzanne to phone Cheryl, who was nice enough to drive over and drop it off.

After all that, I didn't actually eat until 11:00. Spent about an hour after that writing out Christmas cards. I mailed some, but ran out of stamps, so must get to the P.O. Ellen called and suggested we go to Santa Barbara on Saturday, Betty's and my actually birthday, instead of Friday. Fine by me and  I'd just as soon not stay for lunch in S.B. I'll sleep over at El's that night after we have dinner at Sea Fresh; she'll invite Greg, too. 

Lorraine called and went on and on, as she does, complaining about Michelle and the state of the apartment complex. I don't see any big problem with it--guess I'm too absorbed in other things. After talking to her, I didn't eat lunch until 3:00, which is fine by me, as I prefer to eat dinner later than my usual 6:00.

Mike Messaged me to ask is I was available to talk about my new laptop questions in a few hours, as he was walking (it was Saturday for him)., I said sure, and he got to me about 5:30. We were on the phone and the laptop for about an hour. My question wasn't answered, probably because it was just too difficult to do 20,000 miles away, especially when I'm not very adept. Mike suggested I ask Ellen to come over, so she can actually be at the laptop and he can be on Facetime and advise her. Anyway, it isn't a major concern--the laptop still works fine. El later called and suggested Wednesday, which is what we'll do.

Note to self: I got the mercantile license for my house. It was sent by Little Egg electronically and won't allow a copy. That's okay, I just noted it here. 

THURSDAY

I spent most of the morning writing Christmas cards and got the overseas ones in the mail. Went to Von's (I think I'm going to move in) for a few items, including a bottle of Jameson whiskey. What--have I started boozing with the big stuff? No, I'm giving it to Cheryl as a little thank-you for taking me to T.O.P.S. every Friday.  She mentioned that she and her husband have a something or other every evening with Jameson in it. I'm not sure what the drink is (whiskey sour?), but she had mentioned Jameson, which happens to be my great-nephew's name. 

Made my lunch and took it out to the middle with my book. I've been doing this a lot lately, and it's so pleasant in the warm sunlight, with the attractive foliage, and the quiet calm of the afternoon.

When I got home, it occurred to me that I have dozens of DVDs and nothing to play them on so I went into Amazon and ordered one. The case worker from Agency on Aging returned my call, but as I suspected, she couldn't tell me anything I didn't already know about Jim's prospect, as the info is confidential. Diane and I made a lunch date for Monday at her park.

I have something in mind to give my kids for Christmas, but I'm not quite familiar with the process of setting it up, so I Messaged Mike and he said he's walk me through it. What I don't know is how to upload. He and I will work on it over the weekend when he's free.

Ellen texted to ask if I'd like her to take me to see Betty next Friday, the twentieth; our birthday's the next day. Yes, I'd like to and she invited me to stay at her place overnight--I'll like that even better. 

About 4:00, I went to CVS to get the ZZ-Quil sleep aid I've been taking. Darn, I had taken an OTC sleep aid for twenty years, then weaned myself off it, but now I'm back, although it's a different one. 

I rearranged my Christmas stuff a bit and took pics of my beautiful amaryllis to show Noreen:

WEDNESDAY, JIM, AND THE AMARYLLIS

I went to see Jim yesterday, walking the mile and a half to Victoria Care Center. I had packed my lunch, thinking I'd bus into town later, but as it turned out, I ate there. The scenario:

--When I got in, I asked to see Lily, the social worker, as I had several questions regarding Jim. She wasn't available, but the receptionist took the message. Went to Jim's room and he wasn't there.

--The nurse told me he was in the dining room, so I went there. Tables for four were set up (along with some nice Christmas decorations and lights around the room) and I was greeted by a young woman seated at one of them with Jim and two female residents. It turns out she's a psychologist and was there to  help them with swallowing or something. Actually, she was very nice, as were the women and we had an enjoyable time.

--I asked is it was all right for me to eat (the lunch I had brought, of course), and she was fine with that. (I didn't mention the IPA and Jim actually got a kick out of that.) We ate and talked.

--Jim looked considerably better to me than he had before and he ate most of his lunch. He seemed fairly "with it," too--for Jim, that is. I told him Greg had said hello and that Mike and Vivian had been here for Thanksgiving, and he remembered them.

--I accompanied Jim when a aide wheeled him back to his room. Earlier, he had said he can walk with a walker; I assume not without, though. I was saying goodbye when his roommate, Steve, asked if I would open the drape (he's on the window side). I did and chatted with him for a bit.  He has several guitars and a music amplifier (I think it was), so I asked him about it and it turns out he's a musician. He's not young--probably seventy or more--and told me he has some kind of internal problem. Anyway, he seemed a nice guy.

--Said goodbye to Jim, then searched out Lily, the social worker, at her office. However, she was at lunch, so I said I'd call her when I got home.

--Did so and was stunned at the news: Lily said that the 100-day max that Medicare would pay was over and that somebody from the Agency on Aging was looking into private placement for Jim; she added that Jim has agreed to it. 

--I called the agency and left a message asking to be called back. I want to know if Jim's in a conservatorship (Lily said he wasn't) and any other information I can get, if they'll let me.

--Called Vickie later to get some insight from her re the situation with placement in a skilled nursing facility. Doesn't look good if you don't have money and that prompts my frequently-noted truism: In this country, there's only one god and his name is Mammon. 

Other than all the above, I started writing out my Christmas cards, a task that will continue for several days. Noreen called and it was good to know she's feeling better emotionally. We made a date for lunch on Tuesday, when I want to show her the magnificent growth of amaryllis she gave me: 

TUESDAY

In the morning, I did all kinds of boring, mundane, everyday stuff, such as making a new dentist appointment for January. I then turned to food prep:: scrubbed, cored, and seasoned three big apples and put them in the oven to roast. I remembered I had some dough in the fridge left over from the pie I made for Thanksgiving, so I rolled that out, spread it with the apple sauce Mike had left, and popped it in the oven with the baked apples. They turned out not terrific, but okay.

While they were cooking, I whipped up the rest of the cream I had left over, also from Thanksgiving. Actually, there was two and a half cups, so I whipped to soft peaks, added the appropriate amount of sugar and vanilla, and continued to stiff peaks. I then put it in a container and stowed it in the freeze. Yes, you can freeze whipped cream--I've done it often. 

Called Muckie about 1:00 (4:00 her time) and we had a long, good talk--almost two hours in fact. She said she's thinking about getting an iPad, which I fervently hope she does. I think she'll enjoy it so much; right now, the only Internet source she has is her son's computer and he's very busy, so she doesn't see that much on-line. I asked about the cancer and was glad to hear it seems stable; she'll get another check in January and if continues to be, she won't have to have the next for a year. It's been two years since she's was diagnosed.

About 1:30, I walked to the post office to send off my ex-daughter-in-law's mail--wow, what a mob, even though it was Tuesday. Presumably, everybody was sending off Christmas presents. Also got stamps and I hope this year to actually get my cards out early. Stopped at CVS after, but decided to wait to examine the SCAN OTC info.

I didn't go home then, but had lunch in the middle first.  It was very quiet and pleasantly warm and sunny. A woman I've met before came up to say hello and we started talking. Her name is Rosario, she looks about sixty, and she's trying to perfect her English. I would never have commented, but she asked and I told her it isn't bad at all--she just could work a bit on pronunciation. She has lived in the complex for twenty years--almost as long as Suzanne has--and I was interested to learn she's originally not from Mexico, but from Peru. I gave her my card and hope to see her again. 

⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘

Note to self: Subscribed to Microsoft Backup; $1.99 + tax per month on debit card. 

MONDAY

Put sheets in the wash when I got up, then got in myself--to the shower, that is, not the washer. Before breakfast, all was pristine, so I ate, then strolled over to Von's for a few items. The important ones to me were eight "C" batteries for my candles in the windows. I like these so much: They look so attractive and understated and they're light-activated, so at dusk, they turn on; you don't have to use a switch.

Got home and put in a white wash, then realized I had accidentally bought half "D" batteries, so had to rush over and exchange them. Home, I put them in, but damned if one doesn't seem to work; I don't know if it's the new batteries or something else. 

Lunch, then did this and that until Ellen came at 3:00. We piled all my donations in her car, then drove to GoodWill to drop it off. From there, we went to Peet's Coffee to pick up Greg, then drove in to town.

Greg had suggested Steven's for dinner, which was okay with me, but he later suggested Lure's, which I like a lot better. We went there--by that time, it was dark--and got a parting place on the street. Greg suggested The Calico Cat bookstore first, and we went there and browsed. 

Before we walked down the street to Lure, I persuaded E. and G. to pose for a picture in front of the Christmas tree:

And below, Ell and her decrepit Mum--good grief, that washboard forehead!

At Lure (pricey, but worth it), we had good seafood dinners: Ellen, trout almondine; Greg, sea bass; and I rockfish, with various sides. Had a good time talking, of course, although I was sorry to hear Greg's mother, who is 92, is in the hospital with pneumonia. She lives with her other son, Frank, who is a cardiologist/oncologist at the Mayo Clinic. Hope she recovers okay.

Home at 7:00, had a Frasier session (I'll get over it), then slept pretty well. 

SUNDAY

Crossword was annoying obscure, but oh, well. I've been sleeping well, I'm glad to say, and got up at 6:15. Zipped through my morning routine, had breakfast, then took a deep breath and dived into my Christmas stuff. 

I shall now draw a veil over that activity, except to say it took me several hours to go through, decide what to keep, what not, and separate the two.  Along with the clothes and other things I'm donating, it's a pretty big pile. Mind you, I haven't yet delved into drawers or, for that matter, anything in the closet except what was on hangers. Still, I feel better about it and I cleared much of the bedroom, too, so that's good. Here is, so far, what's going to GoodWill:

Suzanne stopped in before I took this and when I asked if she'd like anything, she picked out a straw hat and a calendar--good, I'm glad she can use them. 

I put aside some of the Christmas stuff and decorated outside a bit. Here's the setup:

Actually, I think the above looks pretty crappy. When I get around to it, I'll get some pine boughs (either buy or cut off some of the trees here and steal it), so it's more attractive. Here was my front door originally:

..but AHA! As I was typing this, it occurred to me that I have that beautiful Christmas tapestry with an angel on it. Darn, I like that better than the above, so I switched:

🤶🤶🤶🤶🤶🤶🤶🤶🤶

Note to myself: Today, I went on-line and signed up for paperless mortgage statements from Chase; they'll still send my tax statement through the mail. Since I have it on auto-pay, I don't know why I kept receiving and filing the monthly paper all these years--I'm a slow learner, I guess.